


tsuyoku

by JuliassicPark



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: First Kiss, Getting Together, Homoerotic Sparring, M/M, Pining, Spoilers, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Workout Montages, aina is best wingman, almost kisses, finally resolved romantic tension, like seriously this won't make a lot of sense unless you've seen the movie, meis & gueira are the best hype crew, these boys are both idiots, things get a lil angsty at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-12-14 23:08:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21023753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuliassicPark/pseuds/JuliassicPark
Summary: Lio is sick of feeling like a burden without his fire, and he wants to become strongerSo Galo offers to become his personal fitness trainer.





	1. should we even try?

**Author's Note:**

> shout out to the fire extinguisher himbo and the flame twink for getting me to write & post my first fic in like 3 years
> 
> good news is it's pretty much done! the plan is to update daily through the end of this week.

“Oi, where is Lio? We’re ordering pizza and need to pick the toppings and I don’t know what he likes!” Galo asks, leaning into the breakroom of the burning rescue station. Remi and Aina are playing some sort of card game at one of the tables. 

“I’ve looked all around but I think he just disappeared! Really! I checked the lockers, the lab, the pantry, Meis and Gueira don’t know, and ...” Where else had he looked? No, those were the main places Lio would’ve been. Putting stuff away, looking at tech with Lucia, with those two, or getting food with Varys. And he’s not here either, so that means he must’ve left or -

SNAP! 

“Huh?” he says, the sound stirring him out of the string of thoughts to see a glaring Remi. 

“Good grief, were you even listening?” Remi admonishes, giving a slight huff as he crosses his arms. Aina snickers behind him.

“Uh… no,” he admits bashfully. “But! I was thinking about the places I had checked to make sure I listed them all. I did! Didn’t miss a single one!” He states triumphantly, flashing a smile and a thumbs-up. 

Remi’s face remains unchanged and thoroughly unimpressed with that performance. He’ll have to step that up for next time. 

“Great. I was telling you: he hasn’t disappeared, Galo. I saw him walking towards the gym.” 

“Oh! Thank you!” He shakes Remi’s hand with vigor and zooms down the hall, leaving Remi behind. Distantly he hears the sputtering of complaints as cards fly to the floor. 

He really didn’t think to check fitness center for Lio. Exercise didn’t seem his style. If it was, though, that would be great! They could work out together! Because Galo, of course, worked hard to keep his body in tip top shape. Without it, how could he use his burning firefighter spirit to save people? It wasn’t an easy job, not by a longshot. Though he had his Matoi, he still needed his body to be strong enough to handle it or as backup if it was destroyed. 

Which Lio did the first time they met. He still resents that. 

But Lio? Lio was lithe, skilled, and capable without extra work. Throughout the extensive cleanup effort, even without the promare to guide him, he joined in it with no problems. Leading the Burnish to cope with their losses, helping everyone restore to normalcy, and now he was a valuable member of the burning rescue team in his own right. But if he wanted to start training, Galo would gladly join! 

First, he peeks into the main gym area, but it is silent.

“Lio?” Galo calls out, the word reverberating in the large room. 

No response. Maybe Remi was wrong? His search remains futile. Did Lio really disappear? Galo’s just about to give up on his quest when he hears noises coming from the weight room. Bingo. 

“OI LIO!” Galo booms into the area. “WHAT PIZZA TOPPINGS DO YOU LIKE?” The fitness center seems empty, and he confusedly scratches his head. Did he mishear the sounds?

“Lio?” he tries again. 

Then he hears a yelp and a small clang from the corner bench press. He turns his head and sure enough, Lio is there. He appears redder than usual, gritting his teeth as the bar lies across his unclothed chest. Galo then realizes that what he actually heard was the bar falling on him, and that Lio is essentially trapped. Possibly suffocating. 

“Oh! I’m coming! Rescue is here!” He quickly grabs the bar and effortlessly lifts it up, and Lio rolls away onto the floor panting and clutching his chest. Galo swiftly follows, kneeling across from him. 

“Are you alright? I can get some water, some ice, bandages, or-” The danger subsided for now, Galo fully takes in the sight of Lio. His face is crimson, cheeks puffed out as he takes deep breaths. A few lime bangs stick to a sheen of sweat on his forehead. Galo almost reaches to move them until he remembers what just happened. 

“Actually, I’ll just get all of them!” 

Lio only meekly nods in response, and in a few minutes, he is gulping down the water as Galo rolls gauze around ice packs on his chest.

“Are these tight enough? They should hold even if you walk around.” Galo tries to push ice packs up or down and sure enough, they are holding steady. He glances up to see Lio’s face closer than it was before, and still flushed. “They’re good! Keep those on for at least 20 minutes! Do you need one for your face? You’re still looking very red.” Galo reaches towards his cheek to check the temperature, but Lio hastily bats the hand away and turns his head before he makes contact. 

“I’m fine!” he blurts out. “Just still warm from the workout.” Galo remains concerned, but doesn’t pry further. 

Lio carefully stands and makes his way to a nearby bench. Galo follows. 

“You sure you’re alright? It seems like you were nearly crushed.” 

Lio winces. “Yes, you just startled me with your entrance. That’s all,” he replies curtly.

“Well, you should’ve had a spotter on that machine. So that you know, that thing doesn’t go BOOM! and crush you to death.” 

Lio only huffs in response. Galo continues. 

“You know you could’ve asked me to do it. I’d be happy to help you train!” He eagerly awaits any sort of reaction, but Lio remains silent, his eyes downcast. He’ll just have to push harder. If Lio really wants to try to work out, which if he was bench pressing way above his limit with no spotter, seemed likely, he needed a good trainer! Someone who knew what to do and could help him! Someone like him! 

“I’m actually glad to see you here,” Galo encourages. “I haven’t before, but if you want to have burning firefighter’s soul, you need a burning firefighter’s body first! Well, not actually a burning body, because that would hurt. Well, not you. Well, now it would yes. Sorry, that’s a sore subject.” He rubs the back of his head sheepishly. 

“But you get it! So if you want to start training, I can help!” He dramatically strikes a pose, flashing a grin. “Fitness coach Galo Thymos, at your service!” 

Lio’s mood lightens slightly, and a ghost of a smile appears. 

He’s quiet for a moment, deep in thought, and then simply replies, “Sure.” 

“Okay!,” First lesson is don’t bench press without a spotter! Second lesson is don’t push yourself too hard! Third lesson is don’t begin unless you’re healthy and ready to go!” 

“All of these sound very directed at me, Galo,” Lio chuckles softly. 

“Of course they are! That is why I am the best fitness coach! I cater my lessons to each of my students!”

“Have you actually ever trained anyone before?” Lio gives him a skeptical look. 

“Well, uh, no,” he admits. “But I have the knowledge and I can do it! Now come on, you’re done for the day. Let’s pick this up on Friday. Until then, rest and ice! No buts!” He helps Lio to his feet and they head out to the nearby locker room. He was a fitness coach now, ready to teach Lio how to become the strongest firefighter out there!

Lio turns to him and gives him another genuine smile. Galo likes seeing those. 

“Thanks for your help today, Galo. Oh, and it’s pineapple. I like pineapple pizza.” 

“THE PIZZA!! I FORGOT!!” He zips away. 

***************

Silence fills the locker room as Lio sits down and tilts his head back against the cold metal. It feels refreshing on his flushed skin as he tries to comprehend what the hell just happened. Distantly, he hears more shouting from Galo, but for the moment, he’s alone. 

Galo, why did he have to show up and scare him like that? He made Lio feel like such an idiot! Dropping that weight on himself, but worse, in front of Galo! 

_ Ugh, Lio, you’re hopeless _, he chastises himself. He buries his flushed face in his hands. He can’t tell if he’s still reeling from embarrassment, overexertion, his interaction with Galo, or a combination of all three. Trying to steady himself, he uncaps the nearby water and pours some over his head, shaking the droplets out of his hair. 

Despite all that happened, deep down, Lio is grateful for Galo’s appearance. If that bar had fallen without anyone nearby, he might still be trapped there with a bone-crushing weight on his lungs. Once again, Galo Thymos came to his rescue. Like he did time and time again. 

He absentmindedly brings a finger to his lips, tracing the memory of _ that day _. Not that he really remembered it, but a boy can imagine, right? 

But since _ that day _, Lio hasn’t been able to repay that unending kindness. He’s barely been able to add anything of value to the burning rescue team. Sure, when he asked to join, Galo welcomed him with a warm smile and enthusiasm, but he hasn’t felt like a real asset.

The last fire they were dispatched to, he’d just followed as Galo did all the work. He really was useless. 

When you live your whole life trying to achieve one goal only to do so and then also have it ripped away from you, what do you do? 

Oh his flames, how he mourned them. 

Before, he was the Mad Burnish leader. He could conjure anything he needed, attack and defend with ease, protect the ones that he loved. Hell, he could even fly if he wanted to. The Mad Burnish leader was powerful, invincible, untouchable. 

But now he was just… 

Lio Fotia: newly added burning rescue member. Who couldn’t even lift one bar and keep it up. Who kept having to have his ass saved by Galo. 

He had to find his strength somewhere! So maybe he wasn’t all that familiar with weights and presses and lifts. And he was pretty sure half of the machines in that room could double as torture devices if necessary. But his powerlessness was killing him on the inside! 

How could he even come close to Galo when he was such a burden to everyone? 

“Boss?” Meis’s voice rings through the empty room. “Galo said you were here.” 

“I’m not your -” he starts to say, but he knows it’s futile. It’s been weeks and the habit hasn’t changed. 

“Yes, I’m here.” Taking one last swig of water, he stands to see the two walk in. 

“Boss! Are you okay?” Gueira shouts as he takes in the sight before him. The two run up to inspect him. Right, he still had the ice packs on his chest.

“Yes, I just dropped something on myself. Galo helped patch me up.” Lio doesn’t want to admit anything more than necessary. It’s been an embarrassing enough day already. He really doesn’t need the entire burning rescue team knowing about his mishap.

Meis tilts his head in confusion. “You dropped something on your chest? How?” 

Shit. There goes that plan. 

“Uh, I was lifting a bar and it fell on me. I’m fine, it’s just bruised,” he reassures, trying to salvage an answer that doesn’t require a detailed explanation. 

“Are you sure?” Meis questions, quirking his eyebrow. 

“Yes, Galo helped me. I’m fine now.” 

“Ohhh, Galo helped you?” Guiera chimes in. “Did he kiss it and make it better?” He leans close, eyes twinkling. Lio stuffs his hand into the smirking face.

“I never should’ve told you guys anything. You’re insufferable.” 

“Cmon boff!” Guiera’s muffled voice comes through. “You luf us. Almost as muff as you luff Ga-” Lio’s clamps his mouth closed. 

“You know we haven’t told anybody. We haven’t betrayed your trust. We wouldn’t do that to you, Boss,” Meis says. 

“I know,” Lio sighs. “I’m just not sure if the teasing is worth it.” He adds, sending a glare to the still-covered mouth of Gueira. Begrudgingly, he removes the makeshift muzzle.

As soon as he’s free, he starts right back up again. 

“Really, though. Tell us what happened!” 

“C’mon, don’t keep secrets from us!” Meis joins in. They got along with each other like a house on fire. Lio would know, he’s set more than a few himself. 

“I won’t joke anymore, Boss. Swear!”

“Tell us!”

“Give us all the deets!”

With each exclamation, they move in closer, until they are practically pleading in his face. Lio knows better than to deny them anything. 

“Fine.”

“Yeah!” they say in unison, high-fiving each other. He cracks a smile at the simultaneous celebration.

“I was working out and Galo scared me and the bar I was lifting fell onto my chest. He got me the ice and offered to teach me how to use the machines correctly. That’s the truth.” 

“So he’s going to teach you now?”

“Wait, since when do you work out?” Gueira asks. 

“Hey!” Lio shoots him a look. “I want to learn.” 

“Well, if anyone can teach you, Galo can. Sure, he’s an absolute idiot, but have you seen his muscles? I mean his physique is just -” Meis swoons. 

“I’m right here!” Gueira practically shouts. 

“Oh c’mon babe, you know I love you,” Meis replies with a wink. “What I’m saying is Lio, you’re gonna be able to see those muscles in action and teaching you. This could be your chance!”

He… hadn’t considered that. 

His eyes widen at the realization. 

“Wait, that wasn’t the reason you agreed to the workout? I thought you just wanted to see those biceps,” Meis says. 

He would scold Meis for thinking him that shallow if he wasn’t so very interested in the idea of Galo working out now. “Honestly, no,” he shakes his head. “I really do want to get stronger. But now that you mention the advantages, I’m looking forward to it even more.” Galo’s body certainly would be a nice perk. 

“And maybe you can finally tell him. You know, like you should’ve done weeks ago,” Gueira chastises.

Lio rolls his eyes at the comment. It’s not like he hasn’t tried, it’s just really hard to form into words how he feels.

_ "Hey I’ve been hopelessly in love with you ever since you kissed me back from the brink of death and we saved the world together,” _ isn’t exactly the most romantic confession in the world. 

Never mind the fact that Galo is an idiot who wouldn’t even understand! He’d probably just laugh and think it was a joke or something. 

“We’ll see,” he answers vaguely. 

“Okay, Boss. We’re rooting for you!” They both give him a thumbs up with matching grins. “Now, let’s go get our pizza!” Already, they’re heading out the door. Pizza is a powerful motivator. 

Lio goes to follow, but stops when he remembers the ice packs. He doesn’t need anyone else seeing those. Pausing only a moment to unwrap them and throw a shirt on, he joins. 

Maybe Gueira and Meis were right, maybe he could use these workouts to confess to Galo. Or maybe he’ll just ogle and silently pine like he’s been doing.

Either way, he was going to try his hardest to train his weak body. He wouldn’t need to be saved again. 


	2. barely catching my breath, got my eyes on the prize

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The training begins!  
Will Lio be able to keep up? Will Galo realize Lio's feelings? Will Lio be accidentally groped again?
> 
> CUE WORKOUT MONTAGE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i highly recommend listening to the promare soundtrack during a workout. i've been doing it since I saw the movie and omg does it motivate you. put on kakusei or inferno and you feel like you can do ANYTHING 
> 
> honestly any sawano ost is the best workout pump up music

Friday comes along quickly, with Lio giddy and nervous with anticipation. Would Galo be a good trainer? Would he be able to use the machines correctly? Has his bruise healed enough? _What was he going to wear?_

That last question stumped him more than he would’ve liked to admit. Last night, he had stood in front of his closet just staring trying to figure out his outfit. Did he want to go athletic? Just the burning rescue look? Or, did he really want to get Galo to notice him and go sexy? He’d nearly called Meis and Gueira for help - the only thing stopping him was knowing the teasing he would’ve had to endure. 

In the end, he’d decided on a simple white t-shirt and black leggings. It was functional, breathable, and the leggings made his ass look good. A compromise of sorts.

He stands in the weight room, ironically, waiting for Galo. Not that Lio was one bit surprised, Galo being on time to something was more unlikely than him getting struck by lightning. Twice.

Sure enough, he scampers in around five minutes past 1, wearing an outfit that Lio can barely believe. He has a black and white striped shirt, black shorts, and a shiny whistle even hangs around his neck. 

“I’m here!” he announces. “Welcome, Lio Fotia, to your first day of training. I, Galo Thymos, will be your coach!” 

“Thanks, but you’re dressed more like a referee,” he chuckles. 

“HA?” Galo’s face looks dumbfounded. He glances down at the shirt and whistle. “I asked Varys what do coaches wear and he told me this!”

“Yeah, I think you got tricked.” Lio can’t contain his laughter anymore. It bubbles up from his chest and spills out, echoing in the room. 

Galo is still frowning and staring at his shirt as if shooting it daggers will make it look less absurd. It doesn’t. 

And somehow, he still looks good in it. Curse those pecs. 

“It doesn’t matter!” he marches on. “Uniform or not, I am still your trainer! And you, Lio Fotia!” He sends a dramatic point at Lio, azure eyes sparkling. “Are you ready to be trained?” 

“Yes!” He clenches his hand into a fist and sends a determined look Galo’s way. Galo grins right back. 

“Alright! Let us begin the warm-up!”

Galo grabs his wrist and pulls them both back into the gym area. 

“The secret to a good workout is with a good warm up! So let’s start with some cardio!” Good, running, that was something Lio knew he could do. He’d spent most of his life running. His fire, that was his power, but he had to have the stamina to back it up. 

Lio hears the sharp pierce of the whistle and starts jogging. 

“You know you don’t have to actually use that!” He calls out on his first lap passing Galo. 

“Well, it’s already here, so I thought, why not?” Galo shrugs. The shrill sound rings again.

He’s such an idiot. Such a lovable idiot. 

The warm up is easy enough, and then it is time for the torture - no,  _ fitness _ \- machines. He takes uncertain steps back into the room, with a valiant Galo leading the way. 

“Today will be an analysis of your skills so we know where you are at and what you need to improve!” 

At least he was eager, but then again, when wasn’t Galo eager. The man could get excited over anything. That was one of the things Lio loved about him. 

“This!” with a dramatic point to a machine to his right, “is a standing row! We will start there!” 

“Alright, let’s go,” Lio says, determined to prove his worth. 

They slowly make their way around the room, and each time, Lio cringes at the low weight levels he has for all the strength machines.

“Everyone has to start somewhere! Keep Going! You got this!” Galo cheers him on in earnest. But it still hurts. 

  
  


To Lio’s surprise, though, Galo was actually a good coach. He was knowledgeable about all the machines and kept the pep talks going the whole time. You’d think eventually his enthusiasm would wear out, but no. Galo was an unending supply of energy. 

When they finally finish, Lio himself feels winded and pretty worn out, but still standing. At the very least, he didn’t injure himself. That’s an improvement already, right? 

“Congrats, Lio! You have completed Day 1! Did I do a good job? I haven’t done this before.” Galo looks unsure of himself and it’s adorable. 

“You did great! I learned so much!” Lio reassures him. “We should keep doing this!” He really means it. 

Galo beams and Lio’s heart nearly stops. Then in a flash, Galo hauls him into a tight hug, and Lio goes rigid. If his face wasn’t already flushed from the exertion it would be now. 

“Thanks, Galo,” he manages to get out despite the crushing embrace. Galo finally releases him and Lio recovers with a deep breath. 

“We’re not done yet, we still need to stretch!” 

“Okay!” Lio responds just as enthusiastically. He sinks down to the floor and Galo’s face goes slack. His blue eyes are wide in shock and he blinks a few times. Lio’s not sure what’s confusing him, he’s just starting the stretches. 

“You- you can do full splits?” Galo sputters out. 

Lio looks down at his spread legs and then back up at Galo. Had he never noticed before? Well, Galo was pretty oblivious all the time. 

“Uh, yeah. I’ve always been pretty limber I guess.” Lio gets up and does the same on his other side. Galo still watches in awe. 

“That’s so cool! I can’t even get close!” he whines. “You’re so amazing, Lio!”

  
Yeah, he likes this arrangement a lot. He could get used to this. 

*************

The workouts start at twice a week, then up to three times, then every other day. Lio actually sees himself making quick progress, to his surprise. Galo looks on with pride each time the numbers tick up on a machine, and each time, Lio’s heart soars. He’s still nowhere close to Galo’s level and doubts he’ll ever be, but small gains are worth something. 

And of course the time spent with Galo has been enjoyable as well. And the views. 

He hasn’t seen any visible results for himself, unfortunately. He’s always been a skinny little thing, and even all the muscle training doesn’t seemed to have changed that. Maybe it was the promare, that had made his body eternal the moment they synced with him all those years ago. They were gone, but it seemed his look remained persistent - whether by their doing or not. 

At least the numbers on the machines didn’t lie, which meant that he was actually getting stronger. Even if he still looked like Galo could snap him in half.  _ Not that he’d ask him to do that... _

With Galo’s teachings, Lio learned how to use the machines on his own. Though he became more self-sufficient, he still liked having Galo’s upbeat cheering helping him along. That smile was infectious. 

With Lio quickly learning and their falling into a rhythm, Galo had started joining him. 

Which was great, because it meant Lio was next to a sweaty, shirtless, flexing Galo for an hour of the day. 

But it was also terrible, because it meant Lio was next to a sweaty, shirtless, flexing Galo for an hour of the day. 

He really was an idiot, tempting himself with such. 

That was the main problem that had been nagging him. Even after the weeks of training, he was no closer to achieving his secondary goal than he was on day one. 

He’s sitting at a cafe booth with Meis and Gueira after one particularly bad day. Galo had forgone a shirt altogether, which wasn’t that unusual. The man was without one more often than not - a fact Lio enjoyed. 

But then he had to go and start doing lat pulldowns right in front of him! It just wasn’t fair! 

Lio’d nearly folded himself in half on the leg press while trying to get the best view of those taut back muscles. Really, he was pathetic. He is too gay for this. 

“What’s that, Boss?” Geuira looks up from his milkshake. Shit, he’d started murmuring aloud. 

“I’m pathetic,” he laments again and dramatically collapses onto the sticky table. 

“About what? Is this about Galo?” Meis asks. 

Lio just shamefully nods into the table. 

“This again?” Lio lifts his head up to see Gueira’s annoyed face. Meis is at least trying to look comforting, but it’s not making him feel any better. 

“I don’t see why you can’t just tell him. That’s what I did!” Gueira says, nodding at his boyfriend. 

“Yeah, it was really sweet actually. He just ran up one day and said  _ ‘Meis I’m in love with you!’  _ and made a heart out of fire.” Meis sighs. Now they’re giving each other sticky sweet lovey expressions and Lio wants to die even more. 

“You’re not helping,” he huffs. He looks down into his own milkshake to avoid spending any more time looking at the couple making eyes at each other. At least vanilla never made fun of him. 

“Really though, Boss, why can’t you tell him?” Meis continues. “You two spend so much time together. And even if you’re not there, he talks about you. Really! Ask him out, he would absolutely say yes.” Gueira nods along encouragingly. 

If only it were that simple...

“Because he’s an idiot!” Lio snaps. “And what if he doesn’t feel the same way? I’d lose him and I don’t want that.” He’s internally had this argument nearly every night for the eight weeks they’ve been working out together. 

His initial plan of grabbing Galo’s attention without having to say anything wasn’t working out. But he just couldn’t bring himself to be able to say those simple words. 

Every time he tries to talk himself up, he gets blinded by Galo’s beautiful smile and he’s too afraid of losing it and never seeing it again. If he Galo rejects him, what would he do? 

“Sounds like you’re the one being an idiot here,” Gueira comments, pulling Lio out of his spiralling thoughts. Lio sends him a glare that would light him on fire. It has before. 

“If you’re too much of a coward, then your only other option is to get him to confess to you.” 

“Babe, be nice to him. Look at his poor pining self.”  _ Thank you, Meis. _

“We don’t even know if he likes me!” Lio adds exasperatedly. 

That’s the part that’s been eating at him all this time. Galo was so nice and friendly to anyone, how could he tell if what they had was something more? The man was just as sweet and touchy to everyone on the team! 

“What you need to do is switch things up,” Gueira tells him, sending a point his way. “Try something new that’ll grab his attention and make him fall head over heels for you!” 

That… actually wasn’t a terrible idea. 

“Like what?” he probes. 

The couple is silent for a moment as they both ponder the idea. 

“You could ask to go get post workout food together,” Meis offers. 

“I think you should fight him,” Geuira says. 

Meis’s eye widens as both him and Lio stare shocked at the redhead. 

“What.” they say in unison.

“No, no, listen. Hear me out.” Lio waves his hand on in “continue” motion. Gueira sure had some wacky ideas, but he might as well hear what he has to say. His “inventive” plans had saved his ass before, so maybe this one could, too. 

“Galo can never back down from a challenge, right?”  _ We’ll that’s certainly true. _ “So he’ll definitely say yes. You’ll get to be all up and close with him. The best part is that he can see what a great teacher he is as you show off your new strength.” 

No response. Lio is still processing the absurdity of the man in front of him. Meis is looking at his strawberry shake for answers. He’s not finding any. 

“I didn’t mean like a real fight!” Gueira continues, hands waving. “Don’t actually hurt each other. Just do like a sparring match between you two!” 

“A sparring match,” Meis echoes. “Have you done that before?” 

Lio thinks for a moment, but can’t recall any time specifically. He shakes his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Hm.” Meis taps a finger to his chin. “Well, I hate to admit it, but I think you may have a point here.” 

_ Of course _ he backs up his boyfriend. 

Meis continues. “Galo would say yes without thinking twice. And, you could finally use all the training he’s been giving you, Lio.”

“You two really think I should fight the man I’m in love with to get him to notice me?” Lio asks incredulously. These two are honestly baffling sometimes. Do they not realize how insane that sounds?

“Well, it  _ is _ how you met,” Meis says. 

“Yeah, that’s pretty romantic,” Gueira affirms. 

“Is it though?” Lio sends another puzzled look at the two. “ _ ‘Love at first fight.’ _ ” he scoffs. “Stupid.” 

“Okay well, first of all, that  _ is _ a thing. And second, do you have any other ideas?” the redhead challenges. 

“No, not really…” he says. He’s spent weeks trying to think of gestures, things to say, but curse that beautiful man because it all goes out the window when Lio looks at his face. 

As much as he hated to admit it, maybe they had a point. Maybe it was time for him to try something else. 

And honestly, he’s sort of been itching for a fight. A chance to use the new strength he’s been working so hard on. A spar is a good way to vent frustration, too. And Lio was  _ frustrated _ . 

At himself, for being a powerless coward. At Galo, for being all too perfect and incredible but also too damn oblivious to see Lio’s feelings. At the world, for its cruelty in ripping away his fire. 

But mostly at himself. 

Maybe a spar was just what he needed. 

He’s been quietly contemplating or so long the two have resumed a conversation of their own. But it’s not like they ever had long attention spans to begin with. 

“You know what?” he starts. Gueira and Meis turn to look at him. “I think I might do it.” 

Gueira’s eyes light up in excitement. “Really, Boss?”

“Yeah, I think I want to,” he says, more as a realization to himself than to them. 

“Go for it Boss!” 

“We support you!” 

Lio smiles at the cheering section and wonders how he’ll bring the idea up to Galo. He hopes it’ll work. 

Though, he's pretty sure Galo would agree to it. Galo was never one to back down from a challenge - not ever. 

Would it make Galo notice him? Lio's not sure. But it's not like anything else he's done has been working, and Galo was unbelievably oblivious. 

Might as well knock some sense into that dumb head of his. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a fight??? who will win? 
> 
> chapter 2!! thanks to everyone who supported me in chapter 1 i love y'all <3  
as always comments & kudos are super appreciated! 
> 
> see you tomorrow!


	3. i get high on the fighting, you know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT 
> 
> Who will win? Place your bets now!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we are back with the fight! 
> 
> i don't know like anything about real sparring so if this doesn't make sense then...  
[waves hands] TRIGGER PHYSICS

Lio still isn’t sure if he really wants to go through with this plan. When Gueira offered it, he was so pissed that it seemed like the way to go. But after a night of mulling it over, he’s uncertain of its viability. 

What if Galo thinks it’s weird and says no? Or worse, what if he says yes and then wins? Lio has his pride on the line, too. 

Not that he expects to lose, but he hasn’t really had to engage in combat without fire by his side. The flames were just an extension of him, the combat experience still transferred over, right? But he could also just be being optimistic and Galo could win immediately. 

More than all that, though, was the uncertainty of his secondary goal. Could this really be the push he needs to get over his tongue-tied anxiety? Could this make Galo notice him? Galo was someone who valued strength, so it was possible. At the same time, if nothing at this point has worked, why would a spar change that? 

At least a spar would be a great outlet for all this inner turmoil. 

Pacing back and forth in the weight room, he ponders the pros and cons. He needs to decide soon - their workout today starts in a few minutes. The clock on the wall ticks ahead and Lio just hopes that Galo is even later than usual. But of course, time is cruel, because Galo strolls in right at that exact moment. 

“Hey Lio!” he greets ecstatically with a wave. 

Could he really go through with this? Lio swallows down the indecision and steadies himself. Now or never. 

“Galo,” he begins carefully. “I want to try something else today.” 

“Okay!” Galo’s unphased, chipper as ever. “What do you have in mind?” 

Well, here goes nothing. 

“Fight me.”

Silence fills the room as Galo seems to slowly begin to understand the words. Then, he shouts. 

“HA?” His dumbstruck look is so adorable that Lio can’t help but smile to himself. “Why?”

_ Quick, Lio, don’t say anything incriminating! _

“I want to test my skills. You’ve been such a good trainer, I want to see how I’ve improved.” Well, it’s not technically a lie. 

The praise seems to be working as Galo nods. Now, for the bait. 

“Besides, I won the last one. Don’t you want a rematch?” 

Galo looks confused again. “I thought I won.” He pauses, pondering to himself for a moment. He starts to count on his fingers as if he’s doing mental mathematics. 

“Yes, actually, according to my calculations, the current record is Galo Thymos: 3! Lio Fotia: 0!” He triumphantly holds up 3 fingers and cheeses. 

This response shocks Lio, and he immediately fires back to defend himself. 

“3? How did you even get that number? And how can you say you won all of them?” Lio demands. Because he definitely thought it was 2-0 him. 

“It’s simple. First, who was the one that ended up in ice cuffs on the roof?” 

“Oh please, that was only because your friends showed up! I had you and you know it,” he answers confidently. “Also, you should know, I allowed myself to be caught. I had to get to where the Burnish were being held to free them.” That last sentence is maybe only partly true, but still, Lio feels the need to defend himself. Maybe he’s underestimated his own competitive spirit. 

“Even if you planned to lose, you still lost! That’s one for Galo!”

“I still don’t think that counts.”

“It does so! I won!” Galo counters. 

“You were naked without your machine!” he bites back. “Backed up against a cliff!” 

“I told you, I don’t get naked for no reason! I had a plan!” 

Remembering that line, Lio scoffs. He crosses his arms and leans into Galo’s space. He might be getting a little more invested in this banter than he planned. 

“And 2?” he challenges. 

“Easy, by the frozen lake. You captured me, but I allowed you to escape!” 

Now this answer _ really _ perplexes him. 

Did he really just say that Lio knocking him out, tying him up, and escaping was a win to him? Truly unbelievable. 

“How in the world is that a victory for you?” He voices his thoughts. “You couldn’t do anything. You were tied up in a corner of a cave! Aina had to come save you!”

“Correct!” Galo grins. Lio is continuously surprised at the enigma of Galo Thymos. 

“Huh?” 

“I didn’t do anything, but I could’ve. I didn’t because of what you said to me. It was a moral victory!” 

Lio facepalms.

“I don’t think you know what a moral victory is, idiot.”

“And 3!” Galo charges on, undeterred. “I knocked you right out of the sky in front of Kray!” He surges forward, their foreheads now touching. 

Lio glances away quickly, unable to meet Galo’s eyes because: 

  1. His face was very, very close 
  2. He actually did have a case for that one

“I still say that would be a draw,” Lio manages to get out, puffing his reddening cheeks out in slight annoyance. 

Galo leans back and sends another dramatic point his way. “I accept your challenge, Lio Fotia!” 

“You’re on,” he smirks. Okay, so maybe Gueira and Meis know him better than he thought, because now he’s invested. 3-0? No way. Lio definitely had the lead. 

“Alright! We will meet in one hour!” Galo announces, extending a hand. Lio expected them to start right then and there, but if he wanted an hour, so what? 

They shake on it. 

*************

Squaring up at the edge of the stretching mats, Lio takes his stance. It seems in the brief intermission, an entire ring has been set up. The floor of the gym is covered in soft mats and there are even two chairs set up on opposite corners. Their “little spar” has now turned into an entire spectacle, but Lio wouldn’t let that distract him from his goal. 

He knows this should be an easy victory for him. After all, Galo was as predictable as they came. He would immediately start charging, taking a wide swing which he could easily dodge. Rinse, repeat. All his moves were telegraphed from a mile away. He might even vocally announce them himself. Idiot.

But Lio still hasn’t had any combat since losing his fire, and that was an unknown factor. Maybe he was just weak and would lose immediately. Maybe he would fall back into the rhythm and be victorious. 

Either way, dwelling on it wasn’t going to help him. 

Aina has come to be a referee, while the other Burning Rescue members have gathered as spectators around the gym. Word spread quickly in their little group, and it seemed no one wanted to miss this. 

Gueira and Meis are there, cheering loudly for him. Somehow Gueira even found the time to make a _ “Go Lio!” _ sign. The gesture is quite endearing. Lio spares a glance their way, and the two wink and give a thumbs up. 

Even Lucia has found her way out of the lab and appears eager to watch. Judging by the tablet in her hand, she also apparently wanted to take notes. About what, Lio couldn’t guess, but it’s not like he could ever predict what she was going to do. 

Unlike his opponent, who was currently posing for the crowd. Typical. 

Lio sighs, running a hand through his hair. They would be starting soon, he needs to focus. He takes another deep breath, steadying himself for the fight. 

They meet in the center, with Aina standing between them. Galo looks fired up and eager, and gives Lio a “fight me” look. Lio really tries not to think about how the expression looks like another f word him look. He really does. 

“This is a match between Lio Fotia and Galo Thymos,” Aina’s voice breaks him out of it. “First to pin the other or step out of the boundaries loses. Please don’t kill each other.”

“Geez, Aina. I’ll be careful!” Galo whines.

“You’d better. Now shake on it,” she announces. They do. 

Lio walks back to his corner, bouncing on the balls of his feet to keep himself agile. He can do this. 

“Galo, are you ready?” 

“Of course!” 

“Lio, are you ready!”

“Yes!” He lifts his arms in a defensive stance. 

“On my mark. Three, two, one, GO!”

Galo comes flying across the floor as expected. With a battle cry, his arm swings in a great arc towards his left flank. He’s going for the ringout, planning on using their mass difference to overpower him. 

Lio spots the opening immediately and deftly spins away, ducking around the attack. Galo’s momentum, while powerful, causes him to continue stumbling past Lio’s dodge. He screeches to a halt mere centimeters before the out of bounds mark. He rotates around to face Lio, waving a finger at him. He’s grinning, not shaken at all by the first mistake.

“Nice one, but can you handle this?” 

Galo attacks again, this time with his center of gravity lower. At least he can figure out how to make adjustments. However, this change doesn’t affect how obvious the strike is; he’s going for a higher shot to throw off Lio’s balance. If he couldn’t force Lio out of the ring by sheer power, he could have him fall out. A better idea, but still anticipated. 

As Galo’s arm comes swinging in, Lio catches his wrist with his left hand and uses his newfound strength to try to stop it. He switches his weight to his other foot, hoping to get some more purchase on the slippery mats to hold back the attack. The catch does indeed Galo down, but not enough to stop the hit from connecting. He’d underestimated his strength. 

Dull pain blooms on his shoulder, enough for a wince but nothing more. He maintains his stance, and uses the brief moment of Galo’s small victory celebration to go for a hit himself. He jabs an elbow into Galo’s abs, causing him to stumble back a few paces. 

They stare each other down now, circling like cats waiting to pounce. All of the Burning Rescue members are cheering, but they sound miles away. Lio is only focused on the blue-haired man in front of him. Galo comes in for another attack, but this time Lio successfully defends. They battle back and forth, neither one really getting an edge on the other. 

Galo has the upper hand in sheer power and mass, but Lio is dextrous and agile. He’s dodging and defending each blow, but he’s getting winded. He can’t keep this up for much longer. 

He’s about to block another when suddenly, instead of a hit, he feels a tug, and his fist is pulled towards Galo. Before he can effectively react, Galo wraps both arms around his tiny waist, pinning his arms to his sides. He squirms and feels his feet leave the ground, flailing about in the air. 

This is how he’s going to lose - being hugged by Galo too hard. Curse his small stature. 

“I’ve got you now!” Galo triumphantly announces. Aina begins counting down, and Lio knows he has to do something and fast. But there’s nothing for him to gain ground on, he’s struggling as if in the hands of a giant. His arms are useless and his thrashes about, occasionally hitting Galo’s legs. 

Suddenly, the idea comes to him. He doesn’t know if it’ll work, but he’s out of options. 

He uses what little give he has to swing his lower half back, then forward. He uses the momentum to land his feet squarely in the middle of each of Galo’s thighs. Then, bracing against his hold, he uses Galo as a springboard and pushes with all his might. 

Galo’s face goes shocked as the hold snaps, and both fall onto their backs on the mat, breathing hard. Cheers and gasps echo from the audience. 

Lio knows he can’t afford to waste any time, so he deftly rolls to his feet and leaps to where Galo lay. 

Thankfully, the surprise move left him stunned for just long enough for Lio to reach him. Seeing the opportunity, Lio falls to his knees and hopes his small weight will be enough to pin. 

“That was pretty good,” Galo grits out under the hold.

“Thanks. I call it the leg press,” Lio quips back. “My fitness coach taught me.” 

‘He must be a really good coach, then.” 

“He is.” 

They stop the banter, and Galo fights back with full force. 

He struggles to get some purchase on his elbows to raise himself, but Lio is just barely fast enough to place his hands down over Galo’s forearms. His newfound muscles strain against the force, but he grits his teeth and holds it. 

Distantly, he hears Aina counting down, but the sound is drowned out by the ringing in his ears. Galo is still wriggling, never one to give up at any moment, and Lio’s grip slips slightly as his arms burn with overuse. All the defending earlier has worn him out - he’s almost used up. 

Galo glances down and seems to notice this and smirks. He’s seen the opening, too. Lio desperately tries to readjust his hold as Galo puts all of his strength into throwing him off. Lio’s eyes water as he shuts them, he can’t hold this much longer, he’s lost the lead and the fight and everything hurts -

“GAME OVER! LIO FOTIA WINS!” 

He doesn’t even stop to celebrate, just lets his arms give out as he slumps over. They feel like rubber bands that stretched too far and snapped back - the shapes not quite the same as they were, the elastic forever ruined. He can feel his thrumming heartbeat pulse through the sore muscles all down his body. He’s heaving, dizzy, distant. 

He’s just beginning to get his bearings back when he feels a tap on his shoulder. He lifts his head up, dazed. Blinking a few times, his vision slowly focuses into the very cute and very close face of a concerned Galo.

That’s when it hits him.

His thighs are currently straddling Galo’s stomach, arms are splayed out in some sort of exhausted hug. His chin rests on the rise and fall of Galo’s warm chest. Galo, whose face is so tantalizingly close. The fluorescent lights are hitting his eyes, making the blue sparkle like water in the sun.

In this tiny world, their breaths are mingling and Galo gazes in awe at Lio. Has it been a second, an hour? Everything else is drowning out. It’s just him and Galo and he can’t seem to tear his eyes away from Galo’s lips. Is Galo is looking at his? Is this it? If they just inched a little closer he could...

“CONGRATS LIO!”

“WE KNEW YOU COULD DO IT, BOSS!” 

Suddenly, he’s standing ramrod straight and staring at the ground. He can practically feel steam leaving his ears.

He’s also contemplating how to kill the two interrupters. 

The revelation slowly sinks in that they had spectators. Who probably just saw all that happen. Oh god did they notice? They had to have noticed! He ineffectively tries to calm himself down, and turns to the scene. 

Galo gets to his feet, sheepishly scratching his the back of his head. 

“Nice job, now it’s only 3 to 1. Must be because I’m such a great teacher.” Even losing, he’s still somehow taking credit for it. But Lio can’t find it in him to break his good spirit. That smile is too mesmerizing. He wants to kiss it. 

_ No Lio! This isn’t helping! _

He shakes his head again, trying to keep his pining thoughts in check. 

“You almost had me there. I’m not sure I can even move my arms,” Lio states. “I never expected a hug attack, though.” 

“Well, it’s only because I give the best hugs!” Lio can’t argue with that statement. 

“I sure hope you don’t hug everyone that way. I nearly couldn’t breathe. Huh?” 

Next thing he knows, he’s being hoisted again, but not quite as tightly. 

“This is your victory hug. Congrats, Lio!” 

Lio sees the beaming Galo’s face and his heart doubles in speed. 

He is so in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Lio! He was so close! 
> 
> Fight aftermath is next, will they finally get together? ;) 
> 
> thanks to everyone who has been supporting this fic! you guys are the best and i love you with all of my burning fic writer's soul <3
> 
> as always kudos and comments are super appreciated!  
see you tomorrow!


	4. i really like your company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confessions? Could it truly be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> of course I had to name one chapter after the most shippy lyrics from the ost
> 
> originally this chapter was going to be shorter than the others and somehow it turned out to be the longest yet... so enjoy! 
> 
> Also! Thursdays are a bit busier for me and chapter 5 needs some more work so it will be out a bit later. It should be out Friday, but if not then, then definitely Saturday.  
Thank you all for your support and patience <3 <3 <3

The festivities are set to wrap up quickly, as Ignis is adamant that everyone needs to get back to work. In the chaos, Lio doesn’t get another opportunity to speak to Galo before he is surrounded by the other Burning Rescue members. They all congratulate him and pat him on the back. When they finally begin to disperse, he goes to head to the showers but is stopped by a tap on his shoulder.

He turns, confused, to see Aina standing before him. 

“Congrats on the win, Lio.” 

“Thanks, Aina. Nice job reffing.” 

“I do my best.” She shrugs. “But that was a close match, huh? That ending was so unexpected.” 

“Yeah, well, it was mostly improvised. I just didn’t want to lose a hug attack.” _Or at all_, he adds silently. 

“And that pin was impressive.”

“Thanks.” 

There’s a brief lull in their conversation, long enough for Lio to notice that Aina is giving him a strange look. There’s a scheming glint in her eye, and that’s never a good sign. 

“So, you too, huh?” she asks. 

“What do you mean?” he replies. Yep, she’s definitely up to something. Lio’s not sure what, but definitely something. 

“Don’t try to hide it,” she tsks. “I saw your face. I only know because I’ve done it too.” She wistfully sighs, looking toward a Galo who is animatedly reenacting the fight to Remi. “He’s such an idiot, you know?” 

“Yeah.” Well, that’s something he does understand. Lio still can’t quite figure out what Aina’s getting at, though. 

“He’s so dense, it’s hard for him to notice anything. Like what’s right in front of him.” She replies. 

Well, wasn’t that the truth. If Galo was more observant, he wouldn’t be in this situation. Hell, Lio was just inches from his face and- 

He mentally cuts himself off before he lets _ that _ thought go any further. 

“You could probably wave a flag in front of his face and he’d ask you what color it was,” Lio comments. 

Aina laughs. “That’s a good one, I might use that later.” Her face returns to that strange expression, like she’s assessing him. ”Now, are you understanding what I’m saying or are you just as dense as him?” 

“I almost take offense to that,” he says flatly. “But no, you’re being weirdly cryptic and vague.” 

“Ugh, you are both idiots!” she huffs exasperatedly. “You never seem to get it.” 

“Get what?” 

“You love him,” she says simply. 

Lio’s eyes widen and he quickly shushes her, hoping no one else heard nearby. He panic glances around, but thankfully, they appear to be alone. 

“Who told you? Was it Gueira? I’ll kill him, I swear,” he hisses. 

“Lio, relax! Nobody told me. You’re just not subtle. You pine after him with those eyes all the time. Everyone here knows it.”

Everyone knows it? “Wh- what?” he stammers. 

“Do you really not know how obvious you are? Geez.” 

Lio’s slightly more panicked now. “Does Galo-?” He leaves the rest of the question unsaid, but she understands. 

Aina shakes her head. “Don’t worry, he’s too much of an idiot. You’ll have to tell him.” 

“How do I do that?” That was the whole point of today! If he knew how to do that he would’ve months ago! 

“Don’t think, just say what you feel in your heart.” Aina leans in closer. “And between just us two, I think you’ve got a good shot.” She winks and skips down the hall, leaving a baffled Lio in her wake. 

Lio’s still suffering from emotional whiplash when he finally does enter the locker room. His mind and heart have been pulled in too many different directions in the last fifteen minutes, and he just wants a shower to relax. 

Of course, it’s never that easy, because Meis and Gueira cut him off. The two stand grinning, holding their arms out for fist bumps. Lio just bulldozes directly between the couple and continues his stride. 

“Eh?” They’re confused and Lio hears them catch up. As much as he’d like to, he can’t avoid this. Sighing, he spins around to meet them. 

“Do you-” Lio starts. “Do you guys really not know what you did?” 

Blank stares face him. Lio audibly groans. 

“Well, whatever it is I’m sure we’re super sorry about it?” Gueira more asks than apologizes. 

“Gueira,” Meis says, giving his boyfriend a jab. 

“What!” the redhead bites back. “He won! He should be happy and celebrating! Not su-” Meis clamps a hand over his mouth. Meis, ever the mediator.

“I think what we’re trying to say is you just won and it went really well. Why do you look so upset?” 

Lio’s face heats. They really had no idea?

“You- you interrupted my moment! At the end! I had just won and looked up Galo and he looked so perfect. Even more than he normally does! He was so proud and we were so close and I wanted to kiss him and for a moment it seemed like he wanted it too and-” He scrubs a hand down his flushed face. 

“And then your cheering ruined it! Now I’ll never know!” Lio laments, sitting down a nearby bench. 

Gueira’s mouth is uncovered now, and the two actually look sympathetic. 

“Sorry, Boss.”

“Yeah, sorry, Boss. We were just so proud of you!” 

“Yeah, you were amazing out there!” 

Lio sighs. He really can’t stay mad at them for long. 

“I know, I love you guys.” 

The two embrace him briefly, and when they detach, sit on either side of Lio. 

“So, you really think he was into it?” Gueira asks with a sly smile. 

That’s a good question. Did Galo really want to kiss him? He certainly got a positive reaction, but Lio doesn’t know if that look was pride or something more. 

Was he was blinded by his own desires, or was there really a spark there? For someone like Galo who was boisterous and wore his heart on his sleeve, it sure was hard for Lio to get a read on him sometimes. Mostly because he was so loving to all his friends. 

But Galo’s beaming, beautiful face remains when he closes his eyes. Lio felt the electricity in the air during their moment. He hadn’t imagined that. 

“I think so,” Lio says, more to himself than to them. 

“Well then that’s great! Mission Accomplished!” 

“He does like you! I knew it! So now you have to tell him!” 

That was the same advice he’d been getting for months, but this time, Lio listens. Things were… different now. He had proof somewhat, maybe, a small glimmer of hope - and he latched onto it afraid it would slip through his grasp again. 

Despite all his anxieties and misgivings, he feels strangely at peace with it. He would confess to Galo.

Yes, he would. 

“You’re right,” he says, voice barely above a whisper. 

The two ex-Mad Burnish give him giant grins. 

“Finally!” 

“You can do it, Boss!” 

Uttering the words aloud makes Lio feel relieved, yet still a little nervous. He could do this.

Aina’s words echo in the back of his mind. 

_ “Say what you feel in your heart.” _

Well, his heart said that he loved Galo. His enthusiasm, his kindness, his silly poses. He admired his strength and tenacity, his belief in doing good, his loyalty to his friends. 

Could he really say all that and have Galo understand? But Aina had also said don’t think too much. How was he supposed to do that? He’ll just have to figure it out. 

He resigns to do it tomorrow. 

*********************

Galo can’t believe that he lost! But still, he was so proud of Lio! His inventive moves and style, using something that Galo himself taught to win the match, how he fought to the very end. 

Galo just couldn’t be more proud!

And then Lio had collapsed on him, clearly strained from his exertion. And when he looked up from Galo’s chest, magenta eyes all hazy and cheeks all red, Galo couldn’t help but smile. It made his heart race! 

There’s nothing better to get the blood pumping than a good spar, and it made heart pulse with pride! 

Even if Galo did lose, he’s not that sore about it. He still has a winning record after all. And one loss now just means he’ll have to challenge Lio again! Maybe they could start having weekly sparring sessions along with their workouts!

That would be great! Galo could get to see him even more! 

“Hey, Galo, how are you doing?” Aina’s voice reaches through his thoughts. He’s just about to head out for the night. 

“I’m still a little pissed off about losing,” he admits. “But I’m very proud of Lio! Guess I really am the best fitness coach.” He takes full responsibility for training that win. So in a way, maybe Galo didn’t lose? Yeah, he’s still a winner. 

“So you’re not going to ride to the lake to sulk?” she teases. 

“No, I still have the lead, anyway.” He shrugs. “Plus, if you trained the winner, I think that means you still win.”

“How about that ending, though?” Aina asks. There’s a strange glint in her eye but Galo can’t read it. 

“Oh, yeah, that move he did at the end! What did he call it? The leg press! Based on one of the workout machines. I taught him that!” Galo beams. Even if it was the move that made him lose, Lio coming up with it based on what Galo taught him was just the coolest! 

“Yes, that was very cool,” Aina agrees. “Lio almost did a full backflip, did you see?” 

“Not really, I was kinda falling down at the time,” he winces. And he was just so shocked by the move he couldn’t even think or pay attention to anything. 

“But he did? That’s so cool!” His enthusiasm returns in full force. “Wow, Lio is even more amazing than I thought!” 

“_ More? _” Aina prods, tilting her head quizzically. 

“Well yeah! I already thought he was amazing, of course,” he affirms, nodding in her direction. “Lio always works so hard. He faces every challenge head on and I really admire that about him. And he’s so kind. You know how I’m an idiot and sometimes don’t get things? Well, yeah, of course you do. Lio never makes me feel stupid about that. He just smiles and laughs and tells me what I missed. He has a nice smile. Whenever I see it, it makes me want to smile, too.“ Galo realizes he’s been rambling and stops to look at Aina. 

She is facepalming.  


“Oh. My. God. I cannot believe you,” she bemoans into her hand. Now Galo’s really confused, why was she annoyed? He was just talking about all the things that he liked about Lio. Surely she saw them too? 

“What, did I say something wrong?” He scratches his head. “Don’t you agree with all that?” 

“Galo, you think that everyone-? You don’t even know _yourself_, do you?” Aina sighs. He still doesn’t understand her demeanor. “Galo, when Lio’s not around, do you miss him?” 

Well, that’s an easy question. “Of course, yeah. I like spending time with him. That’s why it’s been great to be his coach. I get to see him a lot more! Any time I can spend with Lio is a good time!” 

“Okay. And how do you feel when you see him?” she continues the questioning, but Galo hasn’t figured out why yet. He’ll just keep answering, then.

“Hm,” he pauses a moment to think. “I feel happy and warm. Like it’s going to be a good day because Lio is there. And sometimes being with him makes my heart beat faster. But I think that’s because being with him is so exciting! And uh, I like to give him hugs. He’s very huggable.” 

Aina just sighs again. “You really don’t get it, do you?” 

“No,” he’s getting defensive now, crossing his arms. “I don’t. Why do you keep asking me all of these questions about Lio?” 

“You know what? It’s not my place to tell. I just think all that stuff you just told me? You should tell him. He’d appreciate hearing how much you love his company.” 

“You think so?” Galo hadn’t noticed. “Then I’ll just have to tell him first thing tomorrow!” 

He leaves to head home for the night just as he hears Aina say, “You two are such idiots.” 

********* 

The morning comes way too fast for Lio’s liking. He’d like another year to figure out how to confess to Galo. Preferably two. 

At the same time, he’s ready. He knows the way things are right now is unsustainable. He’ll just drive himself deeper and deeper into his pining hell until something inevitably spills out. Better to have control over the situation then blurt out something unrehearsed. 

He also can’t afford to let himself believe that their moment after the fight wasn’t real. 

He starts the day normally enough, completing his tasks around the station. He tells himself it’s just so he can be productive and that he’s just waiting for a good opportunity to grab Galo alone. In reality, he’s just putting it off as long as possible. 

But in the most unexpected turn, Galo seeks him out late in the morning. And Lio is vastly underprepared for that. 

“Lio! Hey! Do you have a second?” He’s cornered in a hallway and he can’t think of any excuses. It seems that this’ll have to be the time, whether he wants it or not. 

“Yeah, Galo. What’s up?” He asks, desperately trying to maintain composure and exude an attitude of calm. Even though his heartbeat is already hammering in his chest and his hands might already be shaky. 

“I have something I need to tell you!” Galo announces dramatically. That’s unexpected and Lio’s anxiety raises. “Oh, okay. I uh, have something I wanted to tell you, too.” _ Smooth, Lio. You’re in it now. _

“Oh,” Now Galo looks surprised. “Do you want to go first?” 

“No, that’s. Uh, you can go.” He hasn’t even started yet and he’s already become a stuttering mess. This is not boding well. Why did Galo have to be so perfect? 

“Alright!” Galo looks proud of himself. He lifts his arms up and places a hand on each of Lio’s shoulders. The gesture makes Lio’s heartbeat skyrocket even more and he gulps, not knowing what to expect but still bracing for it regardless.

“Lio, I think you’re amazing!” 

His jaw drops to the floor. He can feel the heat rushing to his cheeks. Was that? Was that a Galo version of a confession? No, no, it couldn’t be. He probably says that about everyone. Hell, he’s told Lio before. But for some reason, this feels like it has more weight to it. Like it really means something. 

_ No, stop! Lio, don’t get your hopes up, yet. Test the waters. _

“Wow, uh. Thanks, Galo. I think you’re pretty amazing, too,” He somehow manages to say. It’s not a lie. 

Galo beams and Lio just might die. His poor gay heart can’t take this. If he still had his flames, he would be completely immolated right now.

Lio needs to know if it’s for real. “Is there anything else?” He carefully asks. 

“Yes, I could say more if you want! Like how you’re so kind and I love spending time with you. Or that you’re the only one that doesn’t make me feel stupid sometimes. Oh! And that seeing you smile makes me smile. But I just figured ‘amazing’ covers all of that. So yeah, Lio, you’re amazing!” 

Lio has lost the ability to breathe. Is he dead? He might be. He would be sprawled on the floor without Galo’s arms holding his shoulders steady. This is definitely not how he expected this to go. Not that he isn’t completely smitten by Galo’s words - Lio would love to hear that every minute of every day. But he had a plan and it has all gone out the window. 

“What did you want to say?” Galo asks, breaking him out of the trance. 

He’s still reeling from the confession? Compliments? Whatever that was. There’s no way he can say anything right now, let alone his planned confession. He’s blinded by Galo’s affectionate expression. He’s getting lost in it. 

_ Okay, calm down Lio. You can do this. _

He takes a deep breath and... 

Immediately forgets how to speak. Yeah, his brain still isn’t back up to 100%. Galo still being way too close to him isn’t helping either. But he’s determined.

This is it - now or never. 

One more breath, two. 

He steals himself and looks right into those beautiful blue eyes. 

“Galo, you’re really great and I like spending time with you.”

“Me too!” Galo nods enthusiastically. Okay, good start. 

“And you’re kind of an idiot, but it’s really endearing. You make me laugh and smile and I admire how you never give up.” Now he’s rolling. “You’re so brash and reckless, but you do it to save the people you care about. And you’ve saved me countless times. I-” 

Go for it, Lio.

“Galo, I lo-”

_ **BRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG ** _

Sirens wail throughout the station. Red and blue flash all around them, and Galo’s face takes on a look of seriousness. 

“Hold that thought, Lio. We’ve got work to do!” Galo grabs his wrist and yanks him down the hall towards their gear. 

Just his luck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no! Poor Lio can't catch a break! ;)
> 
> galo: haha it's totally normal to want to spend all your time with your bro and like have your heart race when you see him smile, right? like everyone gets a warm feeling in their gut when they look at lio yeah?  
aina: i don't get paid enough for this shit
> 
> also wish i had a hype crew like the mad burnish 
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are super appreciated :)  
See you soon!


	5. burn to ashes, fade into gray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being interrupted mid-confession, Lio & Galo get called into action. 
> 
> Angst ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a BITCH to get through but I've done it thank you all for your patience
> 
> you're all so supportive and I love you with all of burning fic writer's soul <3
> 
> This chapter is the climax and by far the longest yet. Enjoy!

They arrive quickly to an old warehouse that fire is licking around. Deep black smoke billows into the sky as their team gathers and preps for the job. With the building being so low to the ground, suits and mechs aren’t ideal, much to Lucia’s (and Galo’s) dismay. But Lio doesn’t mind. Armor or not, he’s ready to get through his job and get his mind somewhere else. 

It’s not his first fire and it won’t be his last. Of course they happen far less often than when Burnish were around, but if there’s one thing that Lio knows, it’s that fire will never be contained. 

As the rest of the Burning Rescue members chatter amongst themselves, Lio is quiet. That’s not unusual - he’s never been one for words while on the job - but right now he has another reason.

Ignis begins assigning roles, but Lio’s finding it hard to focus. He half listens, just waiting to hear his name called, as he mulls over his words. 

He was so, so close. How would Galo have reacted? It seemed to have been going alright, or was he being too optimistic? Should he have said something different? Maybe he should’ve added more before he jumped right into it. On the other hand, if he had just been straight to the point, then they wouldn't have been interrupted so abruptly. 

Lio knows he’s overthinking things, but he can’t bring himself to stop. Why couldn’t he have picked another day? Another time? 

Why was fate so cruel? 

“Lio!” The mention of his name wrenches him back to reality. 

“Yes!” 

“You’re with Galo. Search and rescue survivors on foot. Start at the side entrance over there and sweep your way through.” Ignis gestures behind his right. 

_ Of course _ Lio was with Galo. He nearly pipes up in protest, but bites his tongue at the last second. People’s lives were at stake, he could put his pathetic love life on the backburner for that. 

Despite the anxiety and unease pooling in his gut, being with Galo on the job was where he belonged, Lio knows that. 

“Yes sir!” 

They call break and Galo leads him to their assigned entrance. It’s not completely engulfed in flames yet, more smoldering than anything, but they take precautions anyway. Unlike the promare, this fire was unpredictable, angry, and could strike whenever it pleased. 

Lio diligently follows his shining blue and orange beacon, keeping his senses open for any signs of life. Aina’s running scans in her ship, but with such a wide area, they need more eyes than just her sensors. 

Galo’s jaw is set in a determined line and his eyes remain scanning their surroundings. Despite his idiocy and jovial attitude, even Lio had to admit Galo was good at his job. 

The fires crackle around them as they slowly make their way through the twisting corridors. Rubble and rusted machines lay about, untouched for who knows how long. Lio wonders how a supposedly abandoned place could become so ablaze so instantly. 

There’s an answer in the back of his mind, but he really doesn’t want it to be that. 

They keep moving. 

Despite his earlier anxiety and rabbit heart, he’s far enough removed from that fiasco that he’s able to focus on the job at hand. Thankfully, Galo is silent as well, not pestering him about what he almost did. 

Yeah, Lio does not want to have_ that _conversation in a burning building. 

He’s pretty sure he’ll just do it after the job is done, because if he read those signs right, Galo responded positively. He tables those thoughts for later. 

They’ve been surveying for a bit with no signs of life when Lio hears what sounds like a whimper. It’s so faint, so delicate that he writes it off as nothing. 

Galo seems unphased and continues marching on ahead. Lio follows. 

A few moments later, Lio swears he hears it again and halts. 

Lio focuses and this time makes out a few words. 

“I want to… burn brighter.” 

Those words steal every ounce of breath out of his chest. That couldn’t be the fire. No, he’d sent the promare back to where they belonged. There was none left. There couldn’t be, no way. 

He frantically looks about for any person, anything that wasn’t the crackling flames around him and Galo. Was he losing his mind and imagining things? 

Galo still hasn’t noticed and is carefully maneuvering ahead, oblivious to the emotional gut punch that Lio just took. 

His frantic search proves fruitful, because through the dimly lit surroundings he spots a door slightly ajar. It’s the only explanation and he needs to know that he’s not crazy and imagining fire speaking to him again. He can’t let himself get that hope. He refuses. There’s no hint of the warmth in his chest, the voices whispering in his ear, but still… 

“Galo, I’m going to check this room out. You go on ahead!” 

“Lio, wait. You sure?” Galo’s apprehensive but Lio needs to find this out for himself. 

“Yes, I’ll meet you back outside. Promise,” he answers confidently, no hint of turmoil in his voice. 

“You’d better,” Galo responds and continues on his path. 

Lio rushes to the door he saw. He wants to open it, but he can’t bear to see nothing on the other side. His hand is frozen half-outstretched in front of it, hanging in midair. It’s mocking him almost, because he hasn’t heard anything yet and maybe he is crazy but then a small voice whimpers,

“They won’t listen.” 

The sound is reassurance enough to make Lio push the door open, and to his relief and dismay, a boy sits on the ground. 

He can’t be older than 12, and his arms are red with burns. He peers up at Lio, his eyes red-rimmed with tears. Why wasn’t he leaving? The whole place was burning down! 

“Are you alright? We need to get out of here!” Lio starts to move towards the boy when he lets out a choking cry. 

“They won’t listen to me!” His voice is hoarse from crying. 

Lio is so startled by the reaction that he pauses momentarily. “Who won’t listen?” 

“The fire!” 

The response hits him right in the gut. 

The boy was Burnish. 

The boy continues, his voice shaking. “They used to. And th- then one day they stopped. I couldn’t make them appear anymore. I _ *hic* _ thought if I made some, they would c-c-come back. But,” he looks down onto his injured arms. “They still hurt me!” 

He didn’t know why one day the fire stopped. And since then, he’s been trying to get it back.

A soul-crushing sob wrenches its way out of the child’s throat and Lio’s stomach flips. The room is spinning. Or maybe he is? His knees go wobbly and he places a gloved hand on the doorframe for some semblance of stability. 

This was all his fault. 

Water threatens to spill from his eyes, but Lio wills, pleads for it to stay. He was on the job. 

“We Burnish are no more,” he grits out. “They are never coming back.”

“How do you kn-know?” The boy's face is breaking Lio’s heart. 

“Because I sealed them all away. I made sure that they would never return,” he says into the wall. Lio can’t bring himself to face the child. 

“Why?” the boy simply utters.

The question hangs in the air of the small room. Lio doesn’t know how to explain the promare, the dimensional gateway, the earth’s core. So he just says the truth. 

“So that we could be free.” 

The boy’s tear-stained face gazes at Lio, and he takes the opportunity to finally approach cautiously. “The fire does not command us anymore. You are free to do whatever you want.” 

He’s walking a fine line of trying to console the child while also simultaneously understanding how painful it is to be Burnish no more. He wants to scream and cry just as much as the boy. Wants to yell at the sky how it wasn’t fair for the Burnish to die to save the Earth. How he had to make that choice for every Burnish soul on the planet. The guilt eats at him, poisons him until he can’t breathe sometimes. 

But he cannot allow himself to break down here, he has to save the child, get them both out of here. So he remains empathetic, and reaches a hand out to the boy. A silent question. 

The boy’s green eyes are dancing like emeralds in the firelights and still glisten with unshed tears, but he reaches out as well. 

“You have to get out of here, it’s not safe. The fire will hurt you.”

“Will I- Will I be in trouble?” he asks meekly. 

“No.” Lio will not allow that to happen. If anything, _ he _ should take responsibility for everything that happened here. “Let’s go.” 

Lio forces his face to look kind and not on the verge of a full breakdown. It’s a trained habit. He was the Mad Burnish leader - a symbol larger than life. Symbols don’t get feelings. 

They are about to exit the room when Lio hears creaking from above them. He’s been around enough fires to know what that means. 

“Go!” He shoves the boy through the door just as part of the ceiling collapses in, cutting him off from the rest of the world. A piece of debris slams into his chest and knocks the breath from his lungs.   
Momentarily, Lio’s dazed lying on the concrete floor. Gritting his teeth, he forces his body to rise, to shrug off the pain and continue. He might’ve broken a rib or two, but it’s nothing he can’t handle. It’s still difficult to not feel the heat of the promare stitching him back together, healing his wounds, but he’ll fight through the injury. 

As he rises, pain bites into his lower back and Lio realizes he fell onto his radio, and pieces are scattered about. 

Great, there goes his communication. 

Glittering darkness surrounds him except for a spot of light coming through the wall of debris, an orange glow leaking though. He fumbles around for a light source and finds a flashlight to switch on. Taking in his surroundings, it appears that Lio’s only exit is completely blocked by a fallen beam and ceiling tiles. He also doesn’t see the boy in the room, and his stomach drops. 

“Are you alright?” He calls out, desperately hoping for a response. He can’t bear to think of not getting one back. 

“Yes. Th-thank you,” a small voice replies back. Lio breathes a heavy sigh of relief. At least he did that right. 

“Can you move? Are you injured?” 

“Yeah, I’m okay. Not hurt.” Another positive. Now all Lio has to do is get the boy to safety. 

“Head for the exit,” he instructs. 

“But what about you?”

“Go, you’ve inhaled too much smoke already!” Lio urges. There’s a moment of hesitation, and then, thankfully, Lio hears footsteps leaving in the direction of the nearby hallway. 

One soul free, but he was still stuck.

He knows from the sweep that he and Galo did that flames burn nearby, but haven’t reached his alcove just yet. He has some time to free himself, but not much. Never mind the fact that he’s very much still emotionally reeling from that encounter. 

It had never occurred to him that some Burnish never knew. They had tried to spread the word, to explain what Kray had done, but even with the publicity, some still didn’t know. Imagine waking up one day and suddenly the flames that have been by your side for years are gone with no explanation. That’s what these Burnish went through. And he did that. 

_ Stop it, Lio! _

Lio could wallow in self-pity all day, but not when his life was at stake. He knows that once Galo goes outside and doesn’t see him, that he’ll know something is up and come looking. Galo could never leave anyone behind, even at the cost of his own safety. Lio’d seen it happen time and time again. 

And Lio does _ not _ want to have to be saved by Galo again. Not after all the training he’s done, all the work he’s been through. He can handle this. If not, then what was it all for? Is he still just as useless? 

The main support beam that collapsed is lying diagonally across the small doorframe. Rubble fills the small spaces around it, but Lio’s pretty sure that if he just moved the beam, he could get out of his prison. 

Focusing his energy, he plants his feet and braces against the debris with all his might. 

The thing won’t budge. He pushes and pushes until his new muscles ache with the effort and his chest screams in pain. He got maybe a wiggle or two, but nothing substantial. 

Breathing heavy, he takes a break to sit in the small space and survey what he has: a flashlight, a busted radio, a gun, and some basic medical supplies. Nothing really useful to break down his wall. 

There’s a small window between the rubble and Lio peeks through it. He can’t see far through the thick smoke, but he sees orange, definitely closer than it was before. He maneuvers his gun as best as he can through the small space and fires twice. One makes contact, but he can’t reach all of the flames with the limited angle he has. That’ll at least buy him some time. 

He grits his teeth and heaves again. 

****************

Galo finishes his sweep easily enough. Thankfully, the place really did seem abandoned, because Galo hadn’t seen any signs of life during his entire run. He’s a little annoyed at Lio running off on his own, but he’s not very worried. Though Lio is still very much a rookie, he knows what he’s doing. And Galo’s been a great teacher, of course. 

He emerges outside to see a few of the Burning Rescue members scattered about, looking through their tech, but he doesn’t see Lio. Remi spots him and gives Galo a puzzled look. 

“Where’s Lio?” 

“That’s what I was gonna ask!” 

“I thought he was with you!” they say simultaneously. 

“Lio?” Galo tries on the radio. There’s no response - and worry starts to set in. 

“Aina!” Galo calls through their comms. “Do one last scan! We don’t know where Lio is!” 

“Roger!” she responds. 

Galo waits through a few miserable, desperate moments to hear her results. _ Please, Lio, be okay _.

“I’ve got him! He appears to be in a side office in the west wing. He’s conscious, but I think he’s trapped. We need to-” 

Galo doesn’t hear the rest of that statement, because he’s already racing back into the building. Distantly, he hears someone call his name, but it sounds miles away.

All of the cells in his body scream _ Lio, Lio, save Lio _.

Nothing else matters. 

As he enters the flaming building, Galo nearly collides with a young boy. He doesn’t remember seeing a kid inside, so he’s a little baffled. The boy looks shaken, but still in one piece. Okay, maybe helping a child matters. 

Even if every fiber of his being is telling him to hurry. 

“Hey, are you alright?”

“Yeah, thanks to the nice man.” That captures his interest. Galo hopes he’s right about this.

“Did that nice man have green hair?” The boy nods. _ Bingo _.

“Do you know where he is?” 

The boy points down a nearby hallway. “He’s stuck in a room that way. The building fell and I almost got hurt but he saved me and told me to leave.” Galo smiles at that, briefly, before he remembers his task at hand. 

“Thanks, kid. Run along to my friends, they’ll help you out.” He takes off in the direction the child pointed him in. 

“Lio? Lio!” Galo frantically calls as he rushes down the hallway. The flames are still nearby, and Galo just hopes, prays they haven’t reached Lio yet. 

His voice grows more and more panicked until finally, blessedly, he hears a faint, “Galo?” 

At breakneck speed, Galo hurries in the direction of the voice only to find its source being a wall of debris. The boy was right - Lio was indeed trapped. 

Smoke is still in the area and makes it hard to see, but Galo makes out a small window through the wreckage. Flames lick nearby, but for the most part, Lio’s alcove is unburned. But he’s not sure how long Lio’s been stuck there, he might have already inhaled too much smoke. 

Galo reaches down to his belt and pulls out a flashlight and shines it into the small space. 

In the room, he makes out a mop of dusty green locks. The space he’s confined to is small, and Lio is kneeling in the center of it, facing the floor. 

Galo’s heart jumps, because what if he’s not okay? Lio’s shoulders are slumped and his head is down and Galo’s soul is sinking, his breaths quickening, his heart _ breaking _ \- until he sees the rise and fall of Lio’s chest. 

He’s alive.

“Lio! You’re okay! Now, let’s get you out of here!” 

He quickly radios in the information, but knows that he doesn’t have time to wait for backup. 

Slowly, deliberately, Lio’s head tilts up into the warm light. His pink eyes are dull, cold, with no trace of the fire that usually burns in his gaze. Tear trails streak through the ash on his face. He gives Galo a desolate, pained look.

It’s a look he’s only seen twice before: once behind the eyes of a dragon, and once atop the end of the world.

It’s a look he never wanted to see again. 

“Lio,” Galo repeats. “I’m going to save you.” 

Lio continues to hold his gaze and whispers, “Why?” 

“Wh- WHY?!” Galo sputters. That surprises him. Did Lio _really_ just ask that? 

“I’m Galo Thymos, the world’s number one idiot firefighter! I never stop until I save everybody! If you’re the one asking that, then _ you’re _ the idiot. Now get up and help me move this!” 

His words seem to ignite a small spark, and Lio gradually, unsteadily, gets to his feet. 

“Come on, Lio. With our two burning souls, we’ll get you out in no time! Lio de Galon is an unstoppable team!” he cheers. 

Galo can’t see well in the dim room, but he thinks he spies a smile tugging at Lio’s lips. “I think I prefer Galo de Lion,” he says. 

“Both are great!” Galo agrees. “Now, Lio Fotia, are you ready?” 

“Yes!” Lio answers enthusiastically. The fire is stoked now. Success. 

Mirroring each other, they each grab a hold of the beam and steady their stances. 

“It’s just like the gym - pushing one stupid beam. We got this. 1, 2, 3, GO!l!” 

In sync, they heave. Bits of rubble tumble down from their effort, and the beam begins to lift. Inch by inch, little by little, the door to Lio’s freedom opens. Both are yelling, straining with the effort, but Galo doesn’t mind. 

“It doesn’t hurt at all! We’re almost there! Come on, Lio de Galon! This shit is nothing!” he shouts triumphantly. 

Finally, as if the debris itself was intimidated by Galo’s words, whatever was holding the piece in place breaks, and the beam dislodges. Lio hastily stumbles through the opening and falls directly into Galo. 

Thank goodness he’s got fast reflexes, because he catches Lio in his arms before they both crash onto the concrete floor. 

“Thank you, Galo,” Lio says almost reverently into his chest. 

Galo goes to squeeze his arms around Lio’s small form in an embrace, but he’s stopped when Lio winces in pain. 

“You’re injured,” he says. It’s not a question. 

“I’m fine,” Lio grumbles back. 

“How bad?”

“Shut up.” 

“_ How bad? _” he asks again. 

Lio sighs and gives in. “Piece of ceiling fell on me. Maybe a broken a rib or two. It’s not that bad.”

“Well then let’s get you out of here.” 

Without warning, Galo scoops up Lio _(fireman carry of course)_ and he begins the swift trek to the exit. 

He feels some hits on his back, but they lack any real punch behind them. 

“Put me down you idiot! I can walk.” 

“The more you squirm, the more it’s just gonna hurt,” Galo simply answers.

Lio grumbles something Galo can’t quite make out, and relents. 

They make it out of the building just before a humongous crash wrecks the place. 

“Huh, I didn’t realize we were that close,” Galo comments. 

“You didn’t know?! Ugh!” Lio huffs.

“I was going as fast as I could! We’re fine now! It’s all good!” 

“Can I at least come down?”

“No, this is where you live now.”

_ “Galo.” _

They meet up with the rest of the Burning Rescue team to explain what happened. 

Lio’s still grumbling about how his injury _ “isn’t that bad, I’m fine, stop fussing” _ and despite his protests, he gets packed up in a car to go get treated at the station.

As that car carrying Lio drives away, Galo’s gaze follows it. 

He knows that Lio’s going to be fine, but still feels a little guilty for leaving him alone. If he hadn’t gotten there in time, Lio might’ve-

He doesn’t want to think about what could’ve happened. 

He can’t imagine what he’d do without Lio. Without his smile, his beauty, his company. 

Galo wants to be by his side forever. 

He doesn’t want to leave Lio alone ever again. 

Wait. 

Wait. 

WAIT. 

The realization of all they had been through the past few months hits him, and a million puzzle pieces lock together in his brain. An assembly line of parts that finally have been put into place and Galo can’t believe he hasn’t seen it sooner. 

He really, truly, was an idiot. The greatest idiot firefighter ever. 

“Oh my god,” he utters in disbelief. 

“What is it?” Remi sends him a confused look, but Galo isn’t paying attention to him. He’s still staring at the car driving off in the distance. His heart chases after it.

“Oh my god, I just figured it out,” he repeats breathlessly. 

“You? Figure something out? Not likely,” Remi scoffs, incredulous. Galo’s still ignoring him. 

“I finally get it.” He abruptly turns around. “Aina! I get it!” 

She’s in the middle of packing away equipment now that the blaze is out. “Huh?”

“I love him. I’m in love with Lio. Oh my god.” 

Her eyes grow to saucers and her grin covers her entire face.

“FINALLY!” Aina shouts. “I can’t believe it took you this long. Honestly, you’re unbelievable. ” 

“I’ve gotta go tell him. I have to -” He’s already running to his nearby bike. 

“Galo, wait, you’re supposed to help me pack up!” she whines.

Her only answer is squealing tires. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> up next: guess who fuckin KISSES!!!!!!!!!
> 
> Main Twitter: @Juliassic_Park  
Promare Side Twitter: @ashesfadein2gay
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are super appreciated :)  
See you tomorrow for the finale!


	6. the gallant ones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally made it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean what else was this chapter gonna be titled?

Galo’s never one to think things through - and he knows that - so it’s no surprise that his impulsively conceived plan of racing to the station to valiantly announce his feelings to Lio isn’t exactly working out as intended. The trip back, that was easy, but he kinda had forgotten the whole reason Lio was going back separately: his injury. So right now, Galo can’t even see him because he’s getting treated. 

And then Aina had to go and snitch on him about his hasty exit and now he’s stuck cleaning their vehicles. It’s mundane and lame and far too boring for how much adrenaline is in his system.

He wants to sprint to the nearest rooftop and shout how much he loves Lio to the heavens. He wants to see Lio smile and (carefully) embrace him. He wants to kiss his lips and his rosy cheeks and his adorable button nose. And sure, he might’ve just figured out all this shit like an hour ago, but Galo Thymos never half-asses anything. He wants to go all in. 

But no, he’s stuck scrubbing  _ tires _ . 

It’s torture. 

He spots Aina walking through the garage and chucks a soapy rag in her direction. 

“This is your fault!” 

She dodges it and feigns horror. “Galo, be more careful! What if that had hit me? Or what if I stepped on it and slipped? I could’ve gotten hurt!” 

“Why’d you have to go and tell the bossman on me? I thought you were on my side!” he whines. 

“I was, but it took you so damn long to figure it out. Really you couldn’t have waited until everything was packed? What’s another 20 minutes, Galo?” Her sarcasm is biting. 

Galo has a feeling there’s more to her gripes than just his skimping on the cleaning. “This is payback, isn’t it?” 

Aina nods. “Of course it is. Do you have any idea how frustrating it was to see you two pine after each other? Honestly, I let you off  _ easy _ .” 

Galo hears the “each other” part and freezes. “Wait, each other?”

“Hm, seems you’re still an idiot. Better get back to work! I hear Lio’s resting in the lounge.” She skips away and Galo seriously contemplates throwing something after her. 

But hearing that Lio’s alright ignites his spirit once again. He vows to finish the chores in record time. 

“Alright, here we go!” 

Finally, he finishes the excruciating task and rushes to the lounge area. Galo’s not sure how long it’s been since he talked to Aina, so he hopes that Lio is still there. 

He arrives at the door, slamming it open with a bombastic “Lio!” 

Thankfully, he’s there. Lio’s sprawled out on one of the couches, chest bandaged underneath his poofy orange jacket, and he’s hastily rubbing at his face. 

Galo’s confused at the action until he catches sight of wet stains on the cuffs of his sleeves. 

Lio was… crying? 

“Lio? Are you okay?” He’s toned down significantly. He had planned on shouting his confession aloud right away but the sight of Lio’s tears stops that idea in its tracks. 

The door clicks softly behind him as Galo cautiously approaches the couch. Lio sits up to make room for Galo to sit down next to him, but he’s facing away, not making eye contact. 

“I’m fine,” he says quietly at the wall. 

“Yeah, nope, I don’t buy that. Is it the pain?”

“No,” Lio answers, still staring at the wall. “They gave me meds for that.” 

“So,” Galo continues. “Do you want to tell me what’s really going on then?” 

Lio stubbornly stays silent. 

“You know, you carry so much, I really don’t know how you do it. The burden of all the ex-Burnish, of the promare, your people. You work so hard. That’s too much for one person.” 

Lio gives a sharp inhale, like he’s about to cry again. Galo just keeps talking, hoping something breaks through. “You don’t have to do it alone. Let me help.”

Lio abruptly turns around, collapses into Galo’s chest, and  _ wails _ .

Galo doesn’t say anything after that, just rubs comforting circles into Lio’s back as Lio vents all of his anguish. 

They stay like that for a few minutes, and thankfully no one else shows up in the room. Galo looks to the door, debating if he should lock it, but he doesn’t want to leave Lio right now. Or ever. 

Finally, when Lio’s cries are just silent, shuddering breaths, he slowly raises his head to meet Galo’s gaze for the first time. 

“Thanks,” he whispers.

“See, doesn’t that feel better?” Galo reaches up to thumb away a few stray tears from Lio’s cheek and Lio’s watery eyes widen at the gesture. They gaze at him reverently, the light making them glitter. Lio’s still breathing hard, but it seems the worst has passed. 

Galo knows he could just keep comforting him, but Lio still hasn’t said anything about what was bothering him so much. He decides to give him an option. 

“Do you want to talk about it now?” 

“No,” comes the immediate response. Galo doesn’t pry, and they just sit in a comfortable, companionable silence. 

“Well, actually” Lio starts, pulling back to a sitting position. “Yes.” 

“Okay,” Galo nods. “I’m here for you, Lio. You have the floor.”

Lio gives a watery chuckle at his interesting choice of words, then contemplates for a few moments. 

“I think. It’s just. Ugh, this is so hard,” he laments. 

“Just, start by telling me you’re feeling right now then?” Galo offers. 

Lio sighs. “Okay. I feel useless. Like a burden.”

That is  _ not _ what Galo’s expecting. 

“Useless? How so?” he pries.

“Like, I’m weak and can’t do anything, Galo. Like I’m some stupid damsel in distress that has to be saved all the damn time! Like again today!” Lio finishes with a whine. 

“Well, I don’t think you’re useless, Lio. I mean, literally nobody would be here without you. Not me, not Meis, not Aina, none of the Burning Rescue team or any other human on this planet would exist without you. I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty damn useful to me.” 

Lio wilts. “That was back when I had power.” 

“And you don’t now?” Galo asks, confused. 

“No!” Lio’s voice shatters and Galo’s heart does, too. “The promare left a void inside me and since they left I haven’t been able to do anything. I thought if I became trained myself and worked hard I could become strong enough to save people but-” He chokes back another sob. “You had to save me all over again!” 

So that’s where the motivation for the workouts had come from. Galo had had no idea; he was just eager to teach someone and spend time with Lio. How could he have been so blind to Lio’s struggles? He’s mentally berating himself for his obliviousness. 

At the same time, how could Lio be so blind to his own worth? 

“Wow, you are so wrong,” Galo tells him blatantly, shaking his head. 

Lio stills, caught somewhere between shocked and offended. “What?”

“Like, everything you just said there. It was totally wrong,” Galo repeats. “Do you really think receiving help makes you weak? Idiot.” He stretches that last word out.

Lio’s staring at him, mouth hanging open. 

“What about the rest of the Burning Rescue team? We are that - a team. It’s a two-way street! We help each other out! Does that mean all of us are weak?” 

“Well, no, but-” Galo cuts off his rebuttal. 

“What about the ex-Burnish who all look to you? You’re a hero to them.”  _ And to me _ . “They lost it all and came to you to ask for food, shelter, a leader, hope. Are they all weak too?” He’s pretty much yelling right in Lio’s face now. 

That seems to knock through Lio’s thick skull and he inhales sharply, like he’s been punched. “That’s - that’s different,” he reasons. 

Galo shakes his head. “It’s not. They needed saving, turned to you for help, and you did.” 

“But-” Lio starts.

“And what about me?” Galo finally challenges. “I know I’m an idiot and people have to help save me all the damn time. Today, I couldn’t’ve lifted that beam without you. Am I a weak damsel in distress to you, too?” 

Lio’s magenta eyes widen and his mouth opens for a moment, as if he’s about to cut back, but he closes it. He bows his head in defeat. “No.” 

“S’what I thought,” Galo huffs. Now to tackle the other problem. “And you, being useless? Bullshit. You saved a boy’s life today.” Lio’s head sharply rises. “Yeah, I met him as I ran back inside to get you. He told me what you did. So you can just shut up about that.” 

There’s a few more moments of silence. Galo’s kind of worried he went off on Lio a bit too hard, but what he was saying was just plain wrong! He had to tell him! 

“You know,” Lio says, face looking down at his lap. “I had given up today.” 

“What?” 

“In that tiny room, when I was trapped. I had given up and accepted my fate.”

“You mean?” Galo asks, really hoping it’s not what he’s thinking it is. 

Lio nods. “Yeah. It seemed a fitting end. Even if the promare were gone, still becoming ashes…”  He trails off. 

Well that explains the look Lio’d given him when he’d first shown up. 

“But,” he continues. “You pulled me out of it. Had me back on my feet in a matter of moments.” 

“Well, I couldn’t just have left you there to die. I’m too good of a firefighter for that. Plus, I care about you.” Galo adds that last part without meaning to, but he doesn’t take it back. That  _ is _ why he came here, anyway. 

Lio’s head lifts and he smiles, finally really smiles at him and Galo’s heart might just melt at the beauty of it. 

“And here again,” he says. “You pulled me out of it. What would I do without you, Galo Thymos?” 

Impulsively, magnetically, something possesses Galo and he can’t fight it. He finds he doesn’t want to. 

He grabs the collar of Lio’s fire jacket, closes the minute distance between them, and crashes their lips together. It’s sudden, firm, and there’s probably too much teeth but at the same time it’s perfect and his soul is _ singing _ . Lio’s lips are just as soft as he remembers and he could get so lost in them because wow this is incredible and- 

And then just as suddenly as the feeling overtakes him, Galo pulls back and his face _ ignites _ . 

_OH GOD I KISSED HIM I KISSED HIM GALO YOU IDIOT_

“You kissed me,” Lio breathes in disbelief. A blush stains his cheeks and his fingers ghost over where Galo’s lips just were. 

_ Shit shit shit shit _

“Yeah I uh, did.” He winces. “Sorry if that made it weird or anything you can just uh, forget it? But I just realized like a little while ago that yeah I think I’ve liked you for a long time and-” He’s desperately rambling but Lio is just staring at him with an unreadable look in his eyes. 

“You kissed me,” Lio repeats. 

“Yeah I know. Sorry just don’t like get really mad okay? Because I really do like you and don’t want-”

“You’re always ahead of me, even now.” Lio chuckles. 

Galo tilts his head in confusion. “Huh?” 

Lio gently takes his face in his hands and returns the favor. 

And wow, okay, Galo’s brain is short-circuiting because Lio is kissing him back. This is real, this is reciprocated. 

Lio’s kisses are perfect, amazing, incredible. Maybe the promare were gone but every kiss with Lio is a fire, blazing and scorching between them, burning with all the heat to incinerate the Earth. 

Galo knows he’s inexperienced but does his best to keep up and match the way their lips slide together. Lio is guiding him, really Galo’s just along for the ride. Their mouths slot together perfectly and Galo thinks he’s starting to get the hang of it when Lio licks into his mouth and yeah, whoa, _that’s hot_. 

One of Lio’s hands slides back to cradle the back of his head and the other falls down to his shoulder. Their change in position reminds Galo that his hands are hanging limply at his sides when they could, in fact, be all over Lio. Still remaining liplocked, he brings them up to place on either side of Lio’s ribcage, but Lio hisses in pain.

Galo withdraws them like he’s just touched a hot stove. 

“Shit! Sorry, I forgot! I’m kinda new to this!”

Suddenly there’s a palm on his chest and he’s being pushed down, down into the sofa cushions. 

“Wait, are you sure you’re okay? I really didn’t mean to-” 

“Shut up. I’ve waited too long for this.” 

“Huh?” is all Galo manages to get out before Lio is climbing on top of him and reconnecting their mouths. This time, Lio kisses him hungrily, desperately, and he matches the ferocity as best as he can. The fire between them rages and Galo doesn’t know if it’ll ever be contained again. He’s not sure he wants it to be. 

Lio’s tongue is swirling in his mouth and really, really, he should be focusing on that. But in the back of his mind, he notices how Lio is hunched over him - and he’s worried that the position they’re in is hurting him. He breaks the kiss up to take a much-needed breath and to voice his concern. 

“Are you sure you’re not in pain? I just don’t want you to get hurt because of me.” 

Lio rises to sit on his chest and gives Galo an exasperated look. 

“Didn’t I just tell you to shut up?” 

“Well, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I kinda have a problem with authority.”

Now that Lio is above him, Galo can fully appreciate his view and it’s just - wow. His lips are so, so red and swollen and his eyelashes are prominent against his half-lidded gaze. His lime hair is a little more mussed than usual and Galo wants to take it in his hands and mess it up even more. 

“God, I love you,” Lio tells him. 

The confession startles him - but in the best way possible. Galo beams up at the man in front of him and he thinks he could hold onto this moment forever because Lio’s gazing back in the most affectionate way, too. 

Then he realizes he hasn’t said anything back. 

“Hey, you beat me to it!” He whines. 

Lio laughs. “Well, that’s at least one for me.” 

But Galo, never one to be outdone, looks Lio right in the eyes and declares, “I love you, Lio Fotia!” 

Lio’s really laughing now. “You don’t have to make it sound so official, Galo.” 

“Well, I wanted to make sure you knew.” 

“Well, I definitely know.” They’re both giving each other dopey lovesick grins but neither cares. “You know, that’s what I was trying to tell you this morning.” 

“Wait, really?” Galo hadn’t realized that. Honestly, he had thought they were just complimenting each other back and forth. That’s a thing people do, right? Maybe not. It makes a lot more sense now why Lio reacted the way he had. Wow, Galo was still an idiot. 

“Yeah, and then the siren went off.” 

“Wow, was that really only this morning? It feels so long ago.”

“Yeah,” Lio yawns. “It’s been a long day.” 

“Do you wanna head out then?” 

“Hm,” Lio thinks. “Five more minutes.”

“Okay! Five -mmph!” Lio silences him with a kiss. 

They’ve been making out for maybe another minute or two when the door to the lounge swings open. 

“Hey, Boss! How are you doing?” 

“Heard you were in here so-” 

Gueira and Meis freeze in their tracks at the sight in front of them. Lio and Galo have broken apart, but there’s really no explaining this, hiding this, considering the compromising position that they’re in. Galo’s face burns with embarrassment and he buries it into the nearby couch cushion. 

“YEAH, BOSS!”

“WAY TO GO, BOSS!” 

One of them wolf-whistles and the other just cheers.  Then the door loudly shuts behind them. 

“Are they gone?” Galo asks, muffled by the pillow. 

“Yes, you can come out of your hiding,” Lio chuckles. 

“Ugh, now everyone is gonna know. There are no secrets in this place.” 

“Galo, from what I’ve heard, they already knew.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Lio quickly replies. “I’m hungry, let’s go get something to eat.”

Galo’s stomach replies for him with a loud growl and he sheepishly rubs the back of his head. Just as Lio is about to get up, Galo grabs his hand. 

“Wait, does this mean we’re official?” 

“Well, yeah, I would hope so, idiot.” 

“Cool,” he says, nodding to himself. 

Lio resumes his rise, but then stops as if realizing something. Galo opens his mouth to ask what it is, but the next thing he knows, Lio’s weight is pressing down on him again. 

“There. Now it’s 3-2,” he says, a glint in his eyes. 

“No fair!” Galo complains. “I wasn’t ready! Plus, I can’t even do anything to you! You’re injured! That wouldn’t be right!” 

“Hm, guess you’ll just have to rematch. I think you’ll have  _ plenty _ of opportunities in the future.” His eyes are catlike and Lio is biting his bottom lip and wow, Galo is an idiot but even  _ he _ thinks he knows what’s being implied here and-

His stomach growls loudly again. 

“Food. Let’s go.”

They leave with their fingers still intertwined. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh it's done!!! They finally did it!!!
> 
> Thank you to every single one of you reading this I love you with all of my burning fic writer's soul <3 <3 <3 
> 
> Main Twitter: @Juliassic_Park  
Promare Side Twitter: @ashesfadein2gay
> 
> also, I'm playing around with the idea of writing a little bonus sequel scene that's a little more smutty ;)   
if you would wanna read that let me know! validation from y'all = motivation for me


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